Small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) amongst the grassland. This butterfly is dependent on grasses such as yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus) as the main foodplant of its larval stage
Thursday 30th April 2026 - The Sun was beaming down with full force as the large team of volunteers set about work in another of sector of Beddington Park.
Working in the fenced off area of Wet grassland, grabbing shade where possible the team set about pushing back a margin of Bramble from its encroachment onto the grassland as well as brushcutting a number of smaller areas of rank grass to encourage the emergence of more diminutive species.
Tuesday 28th April 2026 - It was a dull and windy beginning to the day that matured to a sunny finish for todays gathering of a team getting to grips with more activities on the sprawling Roundshaw Downs.
Deciding to concentrate efforts on the North-Eastern fringes of the site (being one of the lesser worked areas), the squad spent the day widening approaches for the contractors to get thorough access when the Autumnal full meadow cuts begin (by popping emergent Blackthorn and trimming fallen Tree limbs), shaving off Bramble edges, weeding rosettes of Ragwort and other undesirable species from the grassland and hay-cutting select parcels of land.
Thursday 23rd April 2026 - Beddington Park. We marked a very special day celebrating 20 years of our most long-standing, reliable and knowledgeable volunteer. What a role model!
And we enjoyed the beautifully decorated home-made cake of course.
Thursday 23rd April 2026 - The team numbers swelled with the addition of two more new volunteers as a Sunny day of work got underway at Beddington Park.
With the main bulk of work occurring at the Lakeside Meadow the larger portion of the team, as the main photo attests, could be found on their knees whilst the tractor looped around them making a spring grass cut as they weeded out Thistles and Docks and planted up a small batch of Cowslips.
Further from the main site of activities the remainder of the volunteers set about rationalising the spread of a couple of compost heaps before the tractor arrived with a fresh batch of cuttings and then made a short walk to the Stock Pond where the periphery of the remaining Bramble was pushed back from the fence and bankside trees to neaten things up.
Tuesday 21st April 2026 - With a work experience student out with the fair sized turnout of a team, the volunteers spent the day in the Western boundary of Roundshaw Downs.
Even though the day remained bright a cutting wind blew across the downs as the team sprang into action.
As the Tractor and flail collector kept busy cutting the surrounding parcels of grassland the rest of the team got to grips with liberating trees and a general push-back of Bramble on the grass edges, weeded Cleavers and more Bramble from the midst's of a large patch of Wood Avens and playing somewhat of a long game dug out as much emergent Hog Weed as they could on the grassland to give the more desirable species a fighting chance of spreading.
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